The present invention is directed generally to an apparatus for uprooting and shredding cotton plants after harvest and more particularly to an apparatus wherein a below ground cutting blade cooperates with an oppositely inclined above ground trash bar to uproot cotton plants and deposit them on the ground transversely of the direction of travel of the apparatus.
In an effort to control the boll weevil, the cotton growing states have established laws requiring all cotton roots to be undercut and preferably brought to the ground surface by a specified date each year. The cotton plant after harvest is tough much like green willows, however, and under irrigation in the San Joaquin Valley, for example, it can be shoulder high. The common practice has been to cut the standing stalks with rotary choppers which reduce the plants to three to four inch stubs which are then very destructive to rubber tires. Two or three discings are then generally required to get root removal sufficient to pass state inspection. The discings have to be done with crawler tractors because of the inhospitable environment for rubber tires created by the standing root stubs left by the rotary cutters.
Prior machines have been developed tackle this cotton root problem. They are mostly two or four row massive machines with high horse power requirements and high dollar costs. One machine uses rubber tire wheels rotating against each other to pull the roots. Other machines are simply undercutters. These are heavy steel L-shaped blades that require enormous horse power and only do one thing, they cut the root underground.
Accordingly, a primary object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for cutting and uprooting cotton plants after harvest.
Another object is to provide such an apparatus with minimum horse power requirements.
Another object is to provide such an apparatus which is readily adapted for connection to and operation by a conventional agricultural tractor.
Finally, an object is to provide such an apparatus which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture and efficient and consistent in operation.